DATA DICTIONARY

(1)

(2)

What is Data Dictionary

• is a system independent interface to the database.

• is a virtual database ( data about data) • provides data for data manipulation and

data processing.

• Also called as DDIC and ABAP Dictionary • The T-Code for DDIC is SE-11.

(3)

(4)

Tables

• Tables are containers which stores data in the form

of record

• They are a central component of the SAP R/3

Application

• One or more fields form a data record (also known

as tupel)

• A number of data records of the same type form a

table

• Examples of few SAP defined tables

(5)

Table Components

• A table contains Fields that are composed of a Data element that uses a Domain.

– The domain contains the technical characteristics of a field, such as the field length and data type. – The data element contains the field labels and

(6)

(7)

Domain

• A Domain describes the Technical structure of a field that is its size and its data types.

• Domains are attached to Data Elements

• Defines a value range which describes the valid data values for all the fields which refer to this domain

(8)

Creating a Domain

Enter a description (short text)

(9)

Creating a domain (contd.)

(10)

Data Element

• A data element gives the description of the

field of the Table

• Examples of predefined data elements in SAP

– LIFNR

– KUNNR – MATNR – CLNT

(11)

Creating a Data Element

(12)

Creating a Data Element

(13)

Tables Contd…

The table definition contains the following components

Table fields: defines the field names and data types of the fields contained in the table.

Foreign Keys: defines the relationships between the table and other tables.

Technical Settings: control how the table should be created on the database.

(14)

Types of Tables

ABAP Dictionary ABAP Program Transparent Cluster Pool Internal

(15)

Transparent Table.

• A transparent table in the dictionary has a one-to-one relationship with a table in the database.

• Its structure in R/3 Data Dictionary corresponds to a single database table. Has one to one relationship with a Db table.

– Used to hold application data or master data used by application.

(16)

(17)

POOLED TABLES

• Holds customizing data from many database tables and they have many-to-one relationship with a database

table .

• For one database table, there are many tables in the dictionary ( with different table name; different field

names and different number of fields). Each pooled table contains table description.

(18)

Cluster Table

– Holds data from a few very large tables (like

joining tables on common part of primary key). It has many-to-one relationship with a database table.

Many clustered tables are stored in a single database table called a table cluster.

– (Pooled tables and clustered tables are usually used

(19)

Creating a Transparent Table – Step 1

Enter the Name of the table (should begin with “Z” or “Y”)

(20)

Creating a

Transparent

Table – Step 2

Maintain delivery class

Table maintenance attribute

After making all entries, Press the “Fields” Tab

(21)

Creating a Transparent Table – Step 3

Maintain field attributes

Maintain data elements

After making all entries, Press the “Technical Settings” Button

(22)

Creating a Transparent Table – Step 4

After making all entries, Press the Save Button. Once Technical Settings are save, Press the

(23)

Creating a Transparent Table – Step 5

Save, Check and

Activate the Table. After that Press the “Indexes” Button on the

(24)

SAP Transparent Tables

• Example of few SAP Transparent Tables

– MARA : General Material Data

– VBAK : Sales Document: Header Data

– KNA1 : General Data in Customer Master

• Example of SAP Cluster Table

(25)

System fields

• SAP has a system table named syst. It stores all

the system related data

• Examples of few fields in this table are

– Sy-datum : System Date

– Sy-langu : System Language – Sy-subrc : System check

(26)

SAP Data

Configuration Data Master Data Transaction Data System Data • Sales Orders • Purchase Orders • Journal Entries • Goods Receipts • G/L Accounts • Vendors • Materials • Stock Locations • Metadata • Programs • Documentation • System Settings • Currency Codes • Order Types • Payment Terms • Field Status Codes

(27)

Structures

• A structure is defined like a table in the ABAP

Dictionary and can then be accessed from within

ABAP programs

• Contain data temporarily during program runtime

• The same data elements and domains can be

(28)

Views

• The data of a view is derived from one or more tables, but not stored physically.

• Data that can be selected with a view depends

primarily on whether the view implements inner join or outer join.

(29)

Types of Views

• SAP R/3 supports four types of Views • 1) Database View

• 2) Projection View • 3) Help View

(30)

Database View

• A database view provides an application-specific view . If the database view only contains a single table, the

maintenance status can be used to determine if data

records can also be inserted with the view. If the database view contains more than one table, you can only read the data.

(31)

Projection View

• A project view contains exactly one table.

• You cannot define selection conditions for selection views.

• Project views are used when you required to use only few selected fields in your view.

(32)

Help view

• You have to create a help view if a view with outer join is needed as selection of a search help.

• Only foreign keys that have certain attributes can be used here.

(33)

Maintenance View

• A maintenance view permits you to maintain the data of an application object together.

• Only those tables that are linked with the primary

table (indirectly with a foreign key can be included in the maintenance view).

(34)

How Search Help works?

1. The user starts the input help to display the possible input values for a field.

2. The system offers the user a number of possible search paths

3. The user enters restrictions if required and then starts the search.

4. The system determines the values that satisfy the entered restrictions (hits) and displays them.

5. The user selects the most suitable line from the hit list by double-clicking

(35)

Search Helps

• Selection method to limit data records used in table selection.

• Allows you to include to field input help.

• In R/3 you can create two types of search helps. • 1) Elementary Search help

(36)

Elementary Search Help

• Where does the data displayed in the hit list come from (selection method)

• What information should be displayed in the dialog box for value selection and in the hit list (search help

parameters)

(37)

Collective Search Help

• A collective search help combines several elementary search helps. The user can thus choose one of several alternative search paths with a collective search help.

(38)

Lock Objects

• The R/3 System synchronizes simultaneous access of several users to the same data records with a lock

mechanism. When interactive transactions are

programmed, locks are set and released by calling function modules. These function modules are

automatically generated from the definition of lock objects in the ABAP Dictionary.

(39)

Lock Objects

• Activating a lock object in the ABAP Dictionary

automatically creates function modules for setting (ENQUEUE_<lock object name>) and releasing

(DEQUEUE_<lock object name>) locks.

• The generated function modules are automatically

assigned to function groups. You should not change these function modules and their assignment to function groups since the function modules are generated again each time the lock object is activated.

(40)